The golfer who was once reaching for the stars had a pretty catastrophic downfall. It all started when 16-year-old Matteo Manassero became the youngest to win the British Amateur. By the end of the year, he was the World No. 1 amateur. In 2010, he became the youngest player to make the cut at the Augusta. He took only six months to win his first title on the DPWT after turning professional, and then he also won Rookie of the Year.

After winning four times on the DP World Tour by age 20, which included the prestigious BMW PGA Championship, the golfer’s game began to go downhill. He struggled to maintain his form, which was visible in his results. In 2014, he just made one cut, and in 2015, he made only six cuts in 22 starts finishing 167th on the Order of Merit. Only the exemption from the Wentworth victory kept him on the European Tour, and then in 2018, he lost his European Tour card. He was heartbroken and decided to start afresh later that year.

“I couldn’t play anymore, really. I was scared of where the ball was going. I had no control of it,”  said the golfer, per Golf Digest after carding an opening round of 62 in 2022 Saudi International. According to Manassero, he felt overwhelmed by the pressure and couldn’t enjoy anything. “I wouldn’t necessarily say there was a low point, but the feeling I was experiencing meant there was nothing to enjoy. As a young player, of course, I would never have believed I could have reached that point. For such a long time, I had never experienced failure.”

Surprisingly, in 2019, he made just one cut in 19 tournaments and earned less than 7,000 euros. It seems like the reason for this downfall was not any physical pain; it was rather how he was feeling about the sport. Other golfers like Padraig Harrington have often called golf a mentally challenging sport.

However, recent victories on the Challenge circuit, whether the Italian Challenge Open or the Copenhagen Challenge, suggest a potential comeback for the 30-year-old Italian golfer. But nothing would top off the time he beat one of the best PGA Tour pros, Rory McIlroy.

Matteo Manassero’s victory against Rory McIlroy

In his days of glory, 17-year-old Matteo Manassero beat Rory McIlroy at the 2011 Maybank Malaysian Open. The young golfer carded a final-round 68 to claim his second European Tour title. Manassero’s impressive performance saw him finish one stroke ahead of McIlroy, who later ended the tournament in solo third place with a score of 14-under.

“Obviously, at this moment I’m pretty disappointed, but it was a good week. I started out really well, and to shoot the scores I did considering the traveling is a pretty good effort. I’m proud of myself at how I picked myself up from last week and the way I came back on the back nine today,” said McIlroy after losing the tournament.

Manassero’s winning score of 16 under par showcased his exceptional skill and gameplay under pressure. The golfer is currently playing at the 2024 Irish Open, where he is right against McIlroy. Do you think Manassero can repeat history? Let us know in the comment section below!